Latch



Sept. 30. 1924. w. E. JONES LATCH Filed May ll 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Sept. 30 1924. 1,530,403

W. E. JONES LATCH Filed May ll. 1923 2 Sheets-@heet 2,

e/m e5.

' INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented sept. 3c, i924.

WILLIAM .J ONES, OF WHITE, ARKANSAS.

LATCH.

Application filed May 11 To .all whom it may concern: l

13e 1t known that I, WTLLIAM E. JONES,

'a citizen of theUnited States, residing at lJVhite, in the county ofAshley and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful improvementsin Latches, of which kthe following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to latches for gates or similar hinged members.

An object of the present invention is the provision of alatchwhich willoperate easily 'and smoothly, lmay be held against acci'den tal openingand in vwhich the keeper maybe adjusted to allow for sagging in fthegate, or wear.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention furtherincludes the following novel features and details of construction, to behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a kgate andgate post `with the invention applied.

Figure 2 is a Vhorizontal :sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is :a transverse section.

Figure 4 Yis a detail perspective view of the latch bar lifting arm.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the sliding latch plate.

Figure 6 is a like view of the pivoted stop.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the keeper.

Figure S is a like view of the slotted guide plate.

Figure 9 is a detail perspectiveview of a modified form of keeper.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts, the latch is shown as applied to agate, a portion of which is indicated at 10, while the gate post isshown at 11.

The improved latch comprises a latch bar 12, which is pivotally mountedat one end within a strap 13, the latter being secured by means of apivot bolt and an additional fastening device 14C to the gate 10. Thelatch bar 12 has its opposite end guided in a guide plate 15, the saidplate being provided with a right angularly disposed longitudinal flange16 and a slot 17 within which the latch 12 operates. Thel latch bar isAthe keeper may be secured Vin place.

1923. Serial No. 638,308.

yieldingly held in its lower or engaging :position by means of a spring18, one end of Vwhich is secured lto the bar 12 and the opposite end toone of the fasteningdeviceswhich serve tosecure the plate 15 to thegate.

'Secured to the post 11 is a keeper 19, which is preferably formed froma single strip of metal and -is bent inter-mediate its ends Vto 4provideoppositely extending aligned attaching ears 2O having longitudinallydisposed slots 21 therein for the passage of suitable fastening devices,by means .of which The lower end of the upper ear 2O of the kee Jer isbent upon itself to provide an upwarc ly extending portion 22 which Visspaced `from the ear 2O and defines a latch bar receiving slot 28, fromthe upper outer edge of which there is provided a` downwardly extendinginclined cam portion 25, which is located in the pat-h of the outer endof the latch bar 12 so that the latter `will ride upon this cam portion25 to enter the slot. 28. The vlower end of the cam. portion 25 isconnected to the upper end of the `lower ear20 by means of a downwardlyand inwardly inclined portion 2.6.V This provides a lkeeper which is ofan Vexceedingly simple and durable nature and which is capable of useupon either side of a gate.

Slidingly mounted upon the latch bar 12 is a lifting member in the formof oppositely extending lifting arms 27, the said arms being connectedby a loop 28 which eli-- gages over the bar 12 and which is held in suchengagement by a plate 29 having a slot 30 for the passage of the arms27. The plate 29 is provided with an extended `lip 31 which, when theplate is moved longitudinally of the bar will engage a notch 32 providedin the guide plate 15, so as to hold the latch bar against accidentalupward movement. The outer ends of the arms 27 are provided withluminous elements 33, so that the lifting arms may be easilydistinguished in the dark. The inner end of the plate 29 is providedwith a tooth 34, which is preferably formed by bending this end of theplate downwardly and this tooth is adapted to engage in any one of aseries of spaced notches provided in the upper edge of the latch bar 12and when so engaged will hold the plate against accidental longitudiynal movement. The lip 31 may thus be secured within the notch 32 so asto hold the Agagement within the slot 39.

gate against accidental opening, or, the tooth 34 may be utilized tohold the lip 3l out of the notch 32, or in any other desired po sition.

If desired, additional means may be provided for holding the latchengaged with the keeper, such as providing a stop 36,V

40 and extending through Vthis slot is a fastening screw or bolt 4l, thesaid bolt also passing through a spring tongue or plate 42. The plate 42has a yielding frictional engagement with the keeper 37 and serves tohold the latter in position for engagement by the latch bar. A guide pinor bolt l?) is carried by the post ll and is positioned. for contactwith an inclined or beveled edge .114 formed on the keeper 37, so thatshould the gate sag on its hinges, the keeper may be forced or drivendownward into proper operative position.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor details of construction and the right is herein Vreserved tomake such changes as properly fall within the scope of theV appendedclaims.

Having described the invention what is claimedA is :e Y

l. A latch embodying a pivotally mounted latch bar, a keeper formed froma single Y strip of material bent intermediate its ends to providealigned slotted attaching ears and an offset portion having any innerwall spaced from and substantially parallel with one of the attachingears to provide a latch bar receiving groove and an outwardly anddownwardly inclined cam portion extending from the upper edge of saidgroove and having its lower` end connected attaching ear.

2. A latch embodying a pivotally mounted latch bar, a slotted guideplate for the latch bar, a keeper, oppositely extending lifting arms7 aloop formed centrally of the lifting arms for receiving theV latch bar,a plate slotted for the assage of the liftingl arms and a lip extendingfrom the slotted plate and engaging a notch in the guide plate topro-vide a combined lifting arm and latch bar holding means.

3. A latch embodying apivota-lly mounted latch bar1 a slotted guideplate for the latch bar, akeepen oppositely extending lifting to theother arms, a loop formed centrally ofthe lifting arms for receiving thelatch bar, a plate slotted for the passage of the lifting arms,

a lip extending` from the `slotted pla-te and engaging thernotch in theguide plate to provide a combined liftingPV arm and latch bar holdingmeans and a tooth'located at the opposite end of the slotted plate forremovableV engagementin notches provided in the latch bar. f

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM E. JONES.

'fol

